Multi-Homeowner Cheong Wa Dae Secretary Generates Rental Income from Illegally Expanded Villa

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Following the disclosure of public officials' assets early this year, some high-ranking officials owning multiple homes became a subject of controversy. Among them, the Cheong Wa Dae press support secretary, known as the Chunchugwan director, still owns multiple houses. According to our coverage, the first floor, which is designated as a stairwell on the blueprints, was illegally expanded and has been leased out to collect monthly rent.

Reporter Go Jeong-hyeon has this exclusive report.

[Reporter]

This is a five-story multi-family housing building located in Daechi-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

As a Grade 1 public official serving as the Cheong Wa Dae Chunchugwan director, Press Support Secretary Kim Sang-ho purchased the entire building together with his spouse in 2014 for 1.77 billion won.

Registering as a private rental business operator the following year, Secretary Kim remains a multiple-homeowner who still owns this building.

According to public officials' asset details, the reported value is 4 billion won, and it is listed as accommodating six households.

The building ledger also indicates that only floors two through five, totaling six households, are residential spaces where people can live, while the first floor is designated solely as a "stairwell."

We went to the site.

However, there is a studio apartment clearly labeled as "Room 101" on the first floor.

Next to the first-floor parking lot with a pilotis structure, the "stairwell" was partitioned to create a residential space.

[Nearby Real Estate Agent : (Why is there a Room 101?) There is no Room 101... That is just something unpermitted without registration.]

When asked if this was illegal, the district office responded as follows.

[Official from Gangnam-gu Office : On the blueprints, it is designated as a parking lot and a stairwell. If a housing unit was created and space was added, then it falls under unauthorized expansion.]

When we met the tenant living in "Room 101," they stated, "I pay 850,000 won in monthly rent and the deposit is 10 million won."

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SBS has repeatedly asked Secretary Kim Sang-ho for his stance regarding the unauthorized expansion since last week, but Secretary Kim, who reportedly submitted his resignation earlier this month, did not respond.

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When public officials' asset disclosures were released early this year, former Cheong Wa Dae Land and Transport Secretary Lee Sung-hoon sparked controversy because he maintained multiple homes despite directly handling real estate policy duties.

Last month, he moved to his post as the president of the Korea Land and Housing Corporation, and he remains a multiple-homeowner as he and his spouse hold shares in one apartment in Sejong and one multi-family house in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

In response to inquiries from SBS regarding plans to sell, President Lee Sung-hoon's side stated, "We have signed a contract to sell the Sejong apartment, but registration is taking time due to tenant issues."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
(Video Reported by Lee Byung-joo | Video Edited by Park Sun-soo | Video Source: LH YouTube Channel)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.